{"id":10266,"date":"2026-11-04T22:34:05","date_gmt":"2026-11-04T19:34:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sport-time.org\/?p=10266"},"modified":"2026-11-04T23:26:17","modified_gmt":"2026-11-04T20:26:17","slug":"ina-cernei-where-theres-a-will-theres-a-way-a-journey-beyond-the-limits-of-sport-and-disability","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sport-time.org\/en\/2026\/11\/04\/ina-cernei-where-theres-a-will-theres-a-way-a-journey-beyond-the-limits-of-sport-and-disability\/","title":{"rendered":"Ina Cernei: Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way \u2013 A Journey Beyond the Limits of Sport and Disability"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ina Cernei cannot see her opponent. She reads a fight through touch, through a coach’s voice, through weight shifting under her hands. She came to it late: she took up judo at 33, right after a painful divorce, at a moment when she was at a loss about what to do with her life and was also battling severe blood pressure problems. A year and a half later, she was on Moldova’s national para judo team.<\/p>\n

Despite a fractured elbow that sidelined her for a few months, 2026 has been her breakthrough year. First, she won a silver medal at the FIAS Blind Sambo World Cup in Yerevan, Armenia. Then, she earned her first-ever medal at the European Para Judo Championships in Heidelberg, Germany. Moldova won a record four medals at the event, the first time in its history that the country had achieved such a result. Her silver was the highest honour of the team. <\/p>\n

Now she is heading to Tashkent for the Blind Sambo World Championships organised by FIAS. Then, she’ll finish the year at the IBSA Para Judo Grand Prix in Alexandria, with Los Angeles 2028 in her sights.<\/p>\n

A woman of many firsts<\/h2>\n
\"\"
Ina Cernei and her coach Vitalie Gligor<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ina is Moldova’s first female para judoka. She’s the first female para judoka ever to qualify for the Paralympic Games. The first Moldovan Paralympic blogger. The first Moldovan woman to earn a continental medal in para judo. The first to win a Blind Sambo World Cup medal… Away from the tatami, she sings, reads, studied psychology at university and explores the world with passion and humour.<\/p>\n

Her blood pressure problems miraculously disappeared as judo became her lifeline. Through the sport, she began to fight not only her opponents but also her own demons. She grew more confident and healthier, and her world gradually expanded beyond the tatami. Whenever she travels for competitions, she makes a point of exploring the places she visits, discovering different cultures through touch, taste and the stories of those who accompany her. Judo has given her more than a sporting career: it has opened up a world she might otherwise never have had the chance to discover.<\/p>\n

What captivated her so much about judo?<\/p>\n

Judo is a mental sport. A smaller opponent can beat a stronger one through skill rather than brute force. You don’t have to be stronger to win; you have to outwit your opponent in the moment. Most of the time, Ina trains against men.<\/p>\n

Para judo training sessions are all about touch and voice. The coach has to show you the moves physically, positioning your hands and legs until your body understands what it should be doing. This year has proven that the hard work has paid off.<\/p>\n

In April, Ina took part in the Blind Sambo World Cup organised by FIAS. It was her first competition in blind sambo \u2013 and her first medal in the new sport.<\/p>\n

Blind sambo is an adapted version of the traditional wrestling discipline, designed for athletes with visual impairments. Competitors are classified into two sport classes, SVI-1 and SVI-2, according to the degree of their visual impairment. Those in the SVI-1 class wear specially designed protective helmets. The rules also adapt the way bouts begin: athletes establish a grip on each other’s uniforms before the referee signals the start, allowing them to orient themselves through touch rather than sight. The referee also plays an active role in positioning and guiding the competitors.<\/p>\n

The sport has ambitions to join the Paralympic programme. On 30 July 2025, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) officially recognised the International Sambo Federation (FIAS) as an IPC Recognised International Federation. The status marked an important step in the development of blind sambo and gave FIAS the opportunity to pursue the discipline’s inclusion in the Brisbane 2032 Paralympic programme.<\/p>\n

How did judo prepare her for blind sambo?<\/p>\n

“Obviously, there are some similarities between judo and para sambo. Thanks to judo, I already had a solid foundation for para sambo, but a silver medal at the World Cup has been a very special moment for me, a great surprise and an immense happiness. It has again shown me that hard work pays off and turns into real results. This medal has shown that I am on the right path and given me the motivation to fight with the same passion.<\/em>”<\/p>\n

\"\"
Ina Cernei (left) with her long-term guide, Moldova NPC vice-President and renown somellier Irina Staheeva<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In August, Ina won the silver medal at the European Championships in Heidelberg.<\/p>\n

“Changing weight categories, jumping up to 70 kg, was a huge deal for me. I was very anxious about it. It was a risky bet for me and my coach. I was afraid I’d be too light compared to a much heavier adversary, but thanks to the guidance of my coach, I passed the challenge brilliantly,” admits Ina.<\/em><\/p>\n

Note: At the Paris 2024 Paralympics, Ina Cernei competed in the under-57 kg category. After the Games, the International Blind Sports Association (IBSA) and the IPC introduced new weight categories.<\/p>\n

Now, ahead of Tashkent, Ina faces another challenge.<\/p>\n

“The emotions are double as I prepare. I will compete in the 59-kilogram category, and the weight-cutting process adds an extra difficulty which, together with the intense training, puts considerable pressure on my shoulders. But I pull myself together, I focus, and I hope to bring a medal home and make the country proud of me.<\/em>”<\/p>\n

The lifelong learning journey<\/h2>\n

Ina combines her intense training and competition schedule with studying psychology at Moldova State University in Chisinau. She’s not the first Moldovan Paralympic athlete to pursue a university degree, but she is the first fully blind athlete to attend university.<\/p>\n

Psychology became a natural part of her sporting journey. Ina had to deal with anxiety, both in her personal life and in sport. She wanted to study psychology to help herself \u2013 and eventually be able to help others, because Moldovan Paralympians have never received any mental health support, either in or outside competitions. For them, much-needed help remains out of reach.<\/p>\n

Now in her second year, Ina studies online. “When I learned that the State University would be opening a distance-learning psychology programme, I was absolutely thrilled! I thought to myself, now’s my chance<\/em>,” says Ina.<\/p>\n

Attending lectures in person was never an option. Moldova simply isn’t adapted to the needs of people with disabilities, which is why university studies remain out of reach for far too many. A blind person wanting to attend lectures would need a full-time guide \u2013 a luxury, as family members often have to work full-time to provide financial support for their visually impaired relatives. A guide dog would be another option, but the fact is that a trained guide dog is an animal visually impaired Moldovans can only dream of. There are no state-run, charitable or private organisations that train guide dogs. Guide dogs also require extensive and expensive training, and buying one from abroad is an insurmountable expense for someone receiving less than \u20ac250 per month in disability benefits.<\/p>\n

That’s why online studies became a fantastic option, but the opportunity came with a number of challenges of its own.<\/p>\n

“I’m very grateful that the university has accepted me, but, to tell the truth, the university isn’t adapted for someone like me. For example, the lecture modules are based on an app that isn’t fully compatible with my phone. There are many assignments I simply cannot do because my phone isn’t adapted for them \u2013 sometimes you have to submit a Word document or a PDF… So, instead of handing everything in during the lectures, I have to do the assignments separately. Most of the time, I have to do them orally.<\/em>”<\/p>\n

Every six months, the lecturers change \u2013 and every six months, Ina has to explain to them that she is, in fact, fully blind and has special needs.<\/p>\n

“The professors have been very accommodating of my needs. They mostly react with kindness and surprise \u2013 surprise because the university doesn’t inform them that they are about to teach a student with special needs. I’m very thankful that they are so understanding, because during exams, for example, I have to come in with a guide, who reads the questions out to me, and then I dictate the answers.<\/em>”<\/p>\n

Have the studies been challenging? Yes. “But where there’s a will, there’s a way!<\/em>” laughs Ina.<\/p>\n

Has studying helped in competition? For now, she is learning the basics, including how to understand herself better and control her emotions, and the course is now moving on to brain chemistry. In her words, studying psychology online and learning about the reactions and chemical processes in the brain and body makes it much easier to manage the stress and pressure that come with preparing for competitions.<\/p>\n

From breaking educational barriers to breaking stereotypes about living with a disability on TikTok<\/h2>\n

Ina doesn’t think she’s anyone particularly interesting and never really imagined that people would want to keep up with what’s happening in her life on TikTok. It was her coach, Vitalie Gligor, who suggested that she start a video blog to give Moldovans living with disabilities greater visibility. He convinced her that her example could motivate someone else \u2013 another person with a disability staying at home, behind closed doors. Someone who feels discouraged and lacks motivation might be inspired to try sports.<\/p>\n

Her TikTok handle? Blindfolded. Legat la Ochi in Romanian. When she first started, some people in her immediate circle mocked her. Now, she has more followers on her page than the entire Paralympic Committee of Moldova.<\/p>\n

In her videos, Ina answers questions that many people don’t dare to ask a blind person. She shows how she cooks in her own kitchen, how she gets around, how she trains and orders food in a restaurant, how she reads books (many people in Moldova have no idea that special smart glasses can help with that), and how to read and write in Braille.<\/p>\n

She’s not particularly active on the platform, posting whenever she has time. Friends \u2013 and guides \u2013 help her with filming for the most part, although she sometimes records videos herself. Another friend takes care of the editing.<\/p>\n

What do you want people to take away from your videos?<\/p>\n

“I really understood that people don’t have an idea how people like us, with visual disabilities, live. There are a lot of stereotypes, and I want to change that. I want others to see that we are people, that we can work and that we should work on improving our lives and gaining new experiences, that they shouldn’t pity us, and that we can have a happy and fulfilling life.”<\/p>\n

The mission is particularly important in Moldova, where, culturally, many people with disabilities lead reclusive lives. Society is not used to seeing people with physical or intellectual disabilities, so Ina’s role is to show that life can be fulfilling and multidimensional.<\/p>\n

The road to LA<\/h2>\n

With two more competitions to go this year and a crucial pre-Paralympic year ahead, Ina has her sights set on qualification.<\/p>\n

“The road to Los Angeles is not guaranteed. I have to earn it through continuous work. Until then, a long series of competitions awaits me, where I must collect precious points. This road means immense sacrifices: being away from my family for long stretches and missing important events. Every stage is a fight to secure my place.”<\/p>\n

Natalia Donets<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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